DotAfrica

DotAfrica is one of the proposed generic top level domain names (gTLDs) by several African organizations to included in the Domain Name System (DNS) to promote the African Identity (businesses, people and culture) of the region in the internet. During the 2009 the African Union conference at Johannesburg, the Ministers expressed their support on the DotAfrica proposal and acknowledged its possible benefits for the development of the Internet within the African continent . The AU Ministers adopted a resolution to ""Establish dot Africa as a continental Top-Level Domain for use by organizations, businesses and individuals with guidance from African Internet agencies". In addition, the African Union was mandated by its Member States to establish cooperation and partnerships with internet stakeholders as well as in the preparation and submission of an application for DotAfrica as new gTLD to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

Background

The DotAfrica was first proposed by non-African companies during ICANN's first round of application to implement new gTLDs in 2000, however the application was strongly opposed by some African professionals. They perceived that the application was not beneficial for the African continent. Subsequently in 2002, those professionals who oppose the application started to develop a draft for the operational model for DotAfrica which will be managed by Africans. Since then, some African entities has been interested in the implementation of DotAfrica as a new gTLD. These entities include Dot Connect Africa (DCA), a Mauritius based not for profit, not partisan organization founded by Sophia Bekele, the Africa Top Level Domain (AfTLD) Organization, a non-profit organization also established in Mauritius headed by Vika Mpisane and the African Registry Consortium (ARC), owned and operated by Domain Name Services (Pty) Ltd. (DNS) and Convergence Partners (Pty) Ltd..

DCA Bid for DotAfrica

In 2006, Sophia Bekele, initiated the proposal to develop the DotAfrica gTLD through her non-profit organization DCA, which will serve as the sponsor and registry operator. She first presented her proposal to the African Members of the ICANN Board as well as to African members of the different groups within the ICANN community in Lisbon. In her presentation, Bekele emphasized the need and significance of the DotAfrica domain name to reach and enrich the global internet community. She pointed out that DotAfrica will enable users to express their membership in a larger Pan African and African community, allow Africa to take its rightful place alongside .Asia and EU.In addition Bekele cited that the DotAfrica proposal complies with the objectives of the WSIS to empower developing countries using ICT as well as to the policies of the African Union, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Africa Drive Project (ADP) for the development of the continent.

Since then, Bekele actively campaigned for the .Africa proposal among African organizations and communities in the region. In 2008, Bekele announced DCA's DotAfrica initiative during the public forum at the ICANN Paris Meeting.

AUA Letter of Endorsement to DCA DotAfrica Project

On August 27, 2009, the African Union Authority (AUA) expressed its support to the DotAfrica Project of DCA and its willingness to provide assistance to coordinate the initiative with the African Ministers and Governments. Furthermore, the AUA also endorsed the DCA initiative. The letter was signed by AUA Chairman Jean Ping.

Surprisingly on May 12, 2011, the African Union Commission (AUC) turned their back on the endorsement made by AUA Chairman Jean Ping to DCA. The The AUC clarified that African Union Ministers in Charge of Communication and information Technologies during the Member States meeting decided to allow competition among organizations interested in sponsoring and operating the proposed .Africa gTLD. The AUC pointed out that it is not supporting or endorsing any individual or organization.In addition, the AUC announced that entities must submit their Expressions Of Interest (EOI), which will become the basis of their selection and endorsement.

DCA Reaction to African Union EOI

DCA criticized the decision of the African Union to implement the process of submitting EOI before giving its endorsement to a particular entity related to the ICANN application to become the registry operator of DotAfrica as a new gTLD. In a statement, DCA pointed out that AU's objective to implement transparency and accountability in the EOI process "sounds hollow and unbelievable" and emphasized that "the AU clarification is untruthful to the extent that it does not acknowledge that DCA was given an endorsement by the AU." DCA also said that the EOI process was already tainted because the AU Task Force openly expressed its support to the AfTLD during the 200 annual African ccTLD event in Ghana.Furthermore, DCA encouraged all entities to ignore the AU EOI process and requested the AU Commission to stop the process immediately.

DCA Yes to DotAfrica Campaign

DCA and its delegation from Africa attended the ICANN 40 Meeting in San Francisco on March 13-18, 2011. Apart from participating to the different activities of ICANN, DCA also took the opportunity to introduce its Yes to DotAfrica campaign and talked to registry vendors about DCA's EOI to apply for DotAfrica to become one of the new gTLDs. During the ICANN 40, DCA claimed that it received support from majority of the members of the ICANN society on its DotAfrica initiative. Sophia Bekele, Executive Director of DCA said that collaboration and non-competitive collaboration is possible and should be considered. Her organization is open to work out a discussion in order to identify roles and responsibilities. She further said, "We will welcome guidance from all African Internet agencies in our organized effort; as well as the same from our international partners”.

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